FDA

Organic food sales totaled some $30 billion in the U.S. last year and suppliers can barely keep up with demand. Earlier this week, the nation’s largest retailer, Walmart, announced that it would slash prices of some of its organic products by 25 percent. Hari Sreenivasan speaks with Phil Wahba who covers the retail industry for reuters about the effects this change will have on consumers, retailers and foodmakers. Continue reading →

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved an overdose antidote that doctors could prescribe for family members or caregivers to keep on hand, in a pocket or medicine cabinet. Called Evzio, it’s a device that automatically injects the right dose of the drug naloxone, a long-used antidote for opioid overdoses.Continue reading →

Scientists point to the amount of antibiotics in livestock as one of the causes of the rise of antibiotic resistant diseases. On Wednesday a number of pharmaceutical companies agreed to abide by a government proposal to stop labeling drugs important for treating human infections as acceptable antibiotics to spur farm animal growth. Hari Sreenivasan speaks with NPR correspondent Dan Charles. Continue reading →

When the Nutrition Facts label was introduced 20 years ago, fat was the primary concern of the American diet. But as our eating and drinking habits — and knowledge — have shifted, the Food and Drug Administration is making significant changes to these labels. To sort through the details and reasoning for the update Jeffrey Brown talks to former CDC official Dr. William Dietz. Continue reading →

The Government Accountability Office has issued a report detailing serious and growing drug shortages in the United States. Sabrina Tavernise of the New York Times joins Hari Sreenivasan from Washington to detail some of the reasons behind the shortfall. Continue reading →

The Food and Drug Administration launched an anti-tobacco campaign Tuesday that targets youth and seeks to prevent young people from smoking. The FDA is hoping to educate this age group, between ages 12 and 17, on the harmful effects of smoking through The Real Cost campaign. The campaign plays on some of the more superficial effects of smoking like wrinkles, bad breath and stained teeth.Continue reading →

Recent research suggests that chemicals in antibacterials soaps can interfere with hormone levels and spur the growth of drug-resistant bacteria, prompting the FDA to propose new rules for manufacturers to prove their products are more effective than regular soap and water. Judy Woodruff talks to Elizabeth Weise of USA Today. Continue reading →

New York Times journalist, Sabrina Tavernise, talks to John Larson on new proposals by the Food and Drug Administration that would affect labeling for antibiotics for livestock and would potentially put a halt to the use of growth-promoting drugs in farm animals, and how these new policies might affect human health as well. Continue reading →